Patrice Evra shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate within the soccer community regarding the number of matches. The former Manchester United defender does not agree that players are playing too many matches.
Evra was an important player for every team he played for during his prime. Evra played for big clubs including Manchester United and Juventus, as well as the French national team. Among his accomplishments are five Premier League titles, two Serie A titles, and a UEFA Champions League trophy.
In recent years, there has been a debate on whether the increase in tournaments and cup matches has been too much. Whenever players suffer serious injuries, many fans immediately vent on social media. They blame the condensed domestic schedules and number of matches played, as well as the international breaks.
“No, [I do not agree that there are too many games being played nowadays]. I think you’re talking to the wrong person. I was someone, where most of the time, I had a one-week holiday or maybe two weeks, because I was always going with the French national team,” Evra exclusively told Heavy Sports via Stake. “I’m someone who always says when I die, I have plenty of time to rest.”
Patrice Evra Explains His Mentality About Playing Too Many Matches
Patrice Evra also explained his own mentality about playing too many matches during his career. He said did not care about how frequently matches came. Instead, he used that as further proof of why proper recovery is key in order to succeeding.
Evra recalled conversations he would have with former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. He said Ferguson told him he was playing too much, but the French defender enjoyed doing so.
“Sometimes, Alex Ferguson was saying: ‘Patrice, you are tired, you’re playing more than the goalkeeper!’ I didn’t care, I just want to play the most I can,” Evra exclusively told Heavy Sports via Stake. “It’s about more recovery. Maybe, football now is more intense. I don’t know. It’s a different generation. I hope they’re not going to do the World Cup every two years because this is going to kill the beauty of the World Cup.”
He continued:
“It’s good when you wait for four years. But no, as a player, I will never complain about too many games because this is what I like. I like to play every three days.”
Evra Reveals Activity was Key Reason Why He Signed with Manchester United
Evra also revealed that the number of matches was a key reason why he ultimately chose to sign with Manchester United. He signed with the Premier League giants in 2006 and played there until 2014, when he joined Juventus.
“That’s why I signed for Manchester United. I wanted to compete in every competition. And now, it’s more like a machine to recover. So no, we want more games,” Evra exclusively told Heavy Sports via Stake.
He continued:
“Some of the games, like I know in the U.S., it was the Club World Cup, this is maybe sometimes too much,” he said. “But come one, you play in the World Cup, you have to be back after two weeks. How much do you want? You want one month? Two months? Like, come on.”
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